Qi

When:

Lookups spiked on December 27, 2012.

Why:

In what has become an annual tradition, qi spiked during the leisurely days between Christmas and New Year's – with lookups almost certainly driven by people who had the word played against them in Scrabble or Words With Friends.

Yes, qi is a word.

It's a variant of chi, "vital energy that is held to animate the body internally and is of central importance in some Eastern systems of medical treatment (as acupuncture) and of exercise or self-defense (as tai chi)."

Whether or not you're playing word games, we hope you're enjoying the holidays – and we wish you a New Year full of health, happiness, and vital energy.